Hurricanes continue to stock up, add Golden Knights prospect and former WHL Champion Gustafson in major trade

Lethbridge, Alta.- The Lethbridge Hurricanes are sending a major message to the rest of the league in a major trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The upstart Canes have added more championship pedigree with the acquisition of forward Jordan Gustafson.

“We are thrilled to be able to add Jordan to our group,” said Peter Anholt, General Manager of the Hurricanes. “His experience having played in two WHL finals, winning in 2023, and his ability to produce at our level is something that we coveted and are really happy to be able to add him to our forward group.”

In exchange, the Thunderbirds will receive forward Hayden Pakkala, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft and a third-round pick in the 2026 and 2028 WHL Prospects Drafts.

“We’d like to thank Hayden for his contributions during his time with our organization,” Anholt said. “He was an importance piece to our team, and we wish him all the best moving forward.”

The 20-year-old prospect of the Vegas Golden Knights has yet to play this year due to an injury.

A 6-foot, 184-pound centreman, Gustafson has amassed 55 goals and 72 assists for 127 goals in 154 regular season games over his WHL career.

He’s added another 20 points (6G-14A) in 34 playoff matches, including a pair of goals (one game-winner) and assists in Seattle’s 2023 WHL Championship run.

A Golden Knight gets his crown!

Jordan Gustafson slots back into the lineup and becomes a WHL Champion.@SeattleTBirds | @GoldenKnights | #WHLChampionship | #FeedingtheFuture pic.twitter.com/10rElkPEnE

— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 20, 2023

Gustafson played a key role in the squad’s run to the 2023 Memorial Cup Final with two goals and an assist in five games, though they’d fall short in the Championship game against the Quebec Remparts.

“We would like to thank Jordan for his time here in Seattle,” said Bil La Forge, General Manager of the Thunderbirds. “He was a key part of our 2023 Championship-winning team and a tremendous captain for us last season. We wish him the best of luck moving forward in his career.”

The Ardrossan, Alta. product was drafted by the Golden Knights in the third round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the club on December 1, 2023.

This trade sees the Thunderbirds continue to add picks after loading up for the 2023 Championship while adding instant impact with the addition of Pakkala.

“We are excited to add Hayden to our forward group,” La Forge said. “He adds valuable experience to our young core. We are also pleased to recoup draft capital to continue building towards a championship in the future.”

The veteran forward has seven goals (including a shorthanded tally) and five assists for 12 points in 29 games in 2024-25.

Pakkala, 20, has played 225 regular-season contests with the Hurricanes and Prince Albert Raiders over four seasons.

Lethbridge (17-11-1-1) sits third in the WHL’s Central Division and has made statement trades this season with an emphasis on championship experience.

The Canes have already added Winnipeg Jets star prospect Brayden Yager, 2023-24 East Division All-Star netminder Jackson Unger and Anaheim Ducks defensive prospect Vojtech Port, who all played key parts in Moose Jaw’s first franchise championship last spring.

Lethbridge will hit the ground running after the holiday break with a Central Division showdown against the Calgary Hitmen (17-9-3-1) on Friday, December 27 at 7:00 p.m. MST at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena.